Strength Training Program

Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going. -Jim Ryan

This Strength Program is something Ive been using for over 5 years. I got it from my strength and conditioning coach, when I was playing College football at the University of Tulsa. The great thing about this program is it can work for those who are competing athletically or those who just want to increase Muscle Strength, Definition and Endurance. The intensity and reps depend on your desired goal whether that is Absolute Strength, Muscle endurance or Weight loss. I only work out 4 days a week giving my body 3 days to recover. If you implement this program and supplement it with the right nutrition you can see drastic results rather quickly.
NOTE: This program is specifically for muscle gain/strength but can be used for weight loss and endurance. Below is the number of Repetitions for each desired goal. Muscle gain/Strength: 10 Reps or less Endurance/ Toning: 12-15 Reps Weight Loss: 15-20 Reps

ABS
-The most important muscle group on the body is your CORE. Consider it the foundation of your body and if it isnt strong, the rest of your body wont be either. In this workout routine we will always start off by doing AB exercises. Also, I believe its a good way to warm up. I like to

get it over with, because I hate doing them after a full workout. Also who doesnt want to get a SIX PACK!! *These workouts should take no longer than an HOUR! If it takes longer than that youre not working hard enough!

Day 1: Legs/Back
Abs: -Crunches: 4 sets of 25 (can be done on flat surface or stability ball) Rest 30sec. to 1 minute between each set -Leg raises: 4 sets of 10 (* if there is too much pressure on your lower back raise one leg instead with the other bent)

Squats: 4-6 sets of 10 reps or less. Recently Ive just done 4 sets of 10 and when I can do my last set with ease, I will increase the weight. The goal here is to do controlled squats going parallel. Make sure your feet are slightly further than shoulder with apart and when you Squat, your knees shouldnt go over your toes. A trick to prevent this is to keep your head up toward the ceiling and act like your sitting down. This will keep you back straight and pressure off your knees.

Straight Leg Dead lifts: 4 sets of 8 Strengthens the hamstrings, glutes and lower back Make sure you keep your head up and that you dont go past parallel to prevent injury

Lat Pull Ups: 2 sets of 10 Few amount of reps but a good warm up for other back exercises. Slow and controlled is the best way for muscle strength. One Arm Dumbbell Row: 4 sets of 8 Make sure to keep head up and back straight at all times. If you have to jerk the dumbbell up decrease the amount of weight. Standing Dumbbell Curls: 4 sets of 6 Make sure back doesnt sway when doing exercise. Palms facing outward with dumbbells lift slow and

controlled. If you experience no muscle fatigue by the final set increase the weight next time you do curls.

Day 1 Finished!

Tip of the Day:

A technique that I use to get a good high intensity workout is to automatically look at the clock when I go to the gym. For me my time limit is 45 minutes. Once I step in the gym I must finish my workout by that time NO EXCEPTIONS!! This causes me to stay at a good pace and prevents me from being distracted.

DAY 2
Bodybuilding is much like any other sport. To be successful, you must dedicate yourself 100% to your training, diet and mental approach. -Arnold Schwarzenegger

Abs:
Planks: 30 seconds
On the left side, right and neutral

Bicycle kicks: 30 times

To the left and right = 1

Toe Touches: 15 times

*Do exercises 2 times

Chest
Warm up: Do 2 sets of 10 pushups (regular or incline using bench)

Incline dumbbell: 4 sets of 10 reps

Make sure palms are facing outward and dumbbell should not go below chest

Bench Press: 5-6 sets of 6 reps or fewer

Example: (*weight doesnt apply for everyone) 1st: 6 reps of 205lbs 2nd: 5 reps of 215lbs 3rd: 4 reps of 230lbs 4th: 4 reps of 230lbs 5th: 4 reps of 230lbs

Military press: 4 sets of 10

If its putting massive strain on lower back decrease the weight Works the shoulders and upper chest

Upright Rows: 4 sets of 8 Use E-Z curl bar with hands close together Raise bar to upper chest with hands pronated (palms facing your body) Tricep Pull Downs: 4 sets of 8
Slow and controlled When extending your elbows and coming back up the bar should not go above the middle torso

Day 2 Finished!

Tip of the Day:

Remember to Breath!! Most people dont even breathe while they workout. The common thing for people to do is to hold their breath which is bad for you. First you feel like your head is going to explode and second your muscles arent getting the oxygen they need to perform the exercise. (Example: Exhale while pushing on bench press and inhale as it drops to your chest)

Day 3
The hardest thing about exercise is to start doing it. Once you are doing exercise regularly, the hardest thing is to stop it Erin Gray

ABS:
Chair Leg lifts: 2 sets of 15 Cable Reverse Crunch: 1 set to failure Muscle: Lower Abs
Lie flat on back with hands to the side Place feet inside strap and lift bent knees towards chest

Front Squats: 4 sets of 8 or less

Muscle: Quadriceps, Glutes
Place bar in front on shoulders Can either cross hands over chest to hold on to the bar or flip hands underneath bar raising the elbows to help balance

Weighted Step Ups: 3 sets of 12

Muscle: Quadriceps, Glutes, Calves
Use bar or dumbbell weights and step up raising opposite leg In a bent position towards chest and step down Recommend using a plyometric box instead of bench for stability

Shrugs: 6 sets
Muscle: Traps
1st : 10 reps 2nd : 8 reps 3-6th 6 reps * hold shrug for 1 second on each repetition

Weighted Calf Raises: 3 sets to muscle failure (rest 2

minutes between each set) Muscle: Gastrocnemuius, Soleus Make sure extend ankle all the way and hold for 1-2 seconds and drop down

Lat Pull Down: 5 sets

Muscle: Latissimus Dorsi (Upper Back)
1st set: 10 reps 2-4th: 8 reps Can use bar as illustrated or use single cables while sitting down to isolate each side

Reverse Curls: 4 sets of 8

Muscle: Biceps, Forearm
Use E-Z curl bar or Straight Bar

Day 3 Finished!

Tip of the Day:

Water is your best friend during your workouts. Make sure you bring a couple bottles to the gym to prevent dehydration. I always carry around a gallon of water wherever I go, to make sure that I drink it. Up to 60% of our body is water and the brain is composed of 70% of water. Drinking water is vital for you to focus and to keep your body going during a high intensity workout.

Day 4
No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable. -- Socrates 400 BC

ABS
Scissor Kicks: 30 sec. Weighted crunches: 25 reps Twist Crunches: 25 * 2 circuits (2 minute rest in between)

Push Ups (Stability ball) : 2 sets of 10-20

Muscle: Chest, Abs

Incline Bench Press: 4 sets of 6 (heavy weight Push yourself!)

Muscle: Upper chest
* To concentrate more on increasing chest size keep arms wider on bar. Closer grip would increase arm size

Dumbbell Flys: 4 sets of 12

Muscle: Chest (Pectoralis Major)
Weights shouldnt go lower than chest When pressing up DONT bring towards middle Concentration is solely on chest

1 Arm Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 5 sets of 5

Muscle: Deltoids, Upper Back
Example: 1st Set: 5 reps of 45lbs 2nd Set: 5 reps of 45lbs 3-5th Set: 5 reps of 55lbs

Dips: 2 sets of 10
Muscle: triceps, upper chest

Skull crushers: 4 sets of 10

Muscle: triceps, abdominals
To work out abs lift legs off the ground, bend knees and keep them crossed while performing exercise or extend if you want an intense Ab workout! ( *If it hurts lower back resume to normal position)

Day 4 Finished!!!

You made it through my simple 4 day workout! If you stick with this plan you will see results IMMEDIATELY. If you havent noticed, I focus on two sets of muscle groups twice a week. Chest/Shoulders/Triceps and Legs/Back and Biceps. I workout Monday/Tuesday and Thursday/Friday giving myself a recovery day between and the weekend off. If youre wandering about Cardio, I prefer to do that on Wednesday and Saturday where I just play my favorite sports for a workout. Im not a big fan of just running, so I play sports and I realized that I expend more energy and burn more calories. I only play once to twice a week, which keeps me lean and gives me definition. Too much cardio makes it extremely hard to gain muscle strength, unless your caloric intake is off the charts. You dont have to work out exactly on those days; I just recommend using the same format. Two days straight, one day off and then Two days again. Now there were a lot of exercises left out that can be implemented in this plan, but obviously I dont have the time or the energy to do them all in a single workout. So occasionally I will switch up the exercises, but make sure their still focused on the same muscle groups of that day. I made a list of extra exercises on the last page you can do which is good because it causes MUSCLE CONFUSION. Muscle Confusion: is basically switching up an exercise that works on a specific muscle group. Example: Instead of Bench Press every week do Chest Flys or Dumbbell press or Pushups. This is great to do because your body after a while gets acclimated to a workout and you can reach a plateau. If you switch it up targeting the same muscle, but different exercise you can see HUGE strength gains.

Tip of the Day:

Get your workout over with early! If youre just beginning to workout, the hardest step is actually just getting up and going to the gym. I highly recommend going bright and early in the morning (6am ). Its a great way to start your day with an intense workout, which will set the tone for the rest of your day. Also most people dont workout early so there are no distractions and you dont have to wait to use weights!! That is my biggest pet peeve. After your early morning workout you have the rest of the day to handle your responsibilities. I have found that if I wait to lift till the afternoon after work, I will never GO. You are exhausted from a long hard day and you will make any excuse not to go. Just Get it DONE!

EXTRA EXERCISES
Chest
Decline Dumbbell Chest Press Decline Barbell Press Cable Crossover Incline Dumbbell Flys Hammer Grip Incline Dumbbell Press Plyometric Pushups Wide Grip Barbell Pull over

Shoulders
Alternating Lateral Raises Dumbbell Hang Cleans Arnold Dumbbell Press Back Flys Bent over Rear Deltoid Raise Dumbbell/Barbell Upright Rows Front Plate Raises

Triceps
Bench Dips Close Grip Barbell Bench Press Triangle Pushups Kneeling triceps extension Seated Tricep Press with Dumbbell Tricep Dumbbell Kickback Tate Press

Legs
Barbell Side Split Squats Hang Cleans Hamstring Curls Leg Curls (Quads) Barbell Lunges Box Jumps Hack Squats Good Mornings ( Hamstrings)

 Front Leg Raises

Back (Upper/Lower)
Back Extensions Seated Good Mornings Pelvic Tilt into Bridge Incline Bench Pull Inverted Row ( Barbell) Mixed Grip Chin Ups Rocky Pull Ups/ Pull Downs Seated Rows

Biceps
Hammer Curls Cable Preacher Curl Incline Dumbbell Curl Reverse Plate Curls Zottman Curl

Calves
Barbell seated Calf Press Calf Press on Dumbbell One leg dumbbell calf raise Donkey Calf raises Rocking standing Calf raise

* For illustrations on how to do these exercises as well as others a great place to go is bodybuilding.com

6 Pack Diet Plan

"I don't eat for taste, I eat for function." -Jay Cutler

What you eat is the most important factor in achieving your fitness goals. It doesnt matter what people tell you to do, take or wear. If youre not putting the right nutrition into your body its an absolute WASTE!! I know youve heard the saying You are what you eat, well I like to take it a step further and say IF YOU EAT CRAP YOU LOOK LIKE CRAP ! . It maybe a little harsh, but its absolutely true. Today we are bombarded with so much bad food that promises its healthier than the other bad food. Theres a definite problem with our perspective on nutrition. In order to function the way we were intended, we have to provide our body with the correct nutrients daily for optimal performance. Now this isnt some diet or fad, but it should be a complete lifestyle change. We must change our way of thinking and like the quote above says eat for function. Now I love food dont get me wrong, but I rather be healthy and look great. This is my Food chart that I use along with my workout plan which keeps me feeling healthy and looking healthy. BREAKFAST: I know youve heard its the most important meal of the day, but do you know why? If you separate the word BREAK and FAST itll help you understand. You are literally taking a break from your fast overnight. So when you wake up your bodys initial response is FEED ME! If you dont eat after you wake up it goes into storage mode. Basically your body says Okay I dont know when the next time youre going to feed me. But

when you do, Im going to store it to FAT because I need energy to operate. If you eat breakfast your metabolism will speed up and burn more calories. So my advice is to get up and EAT BREAKAST!!

Good

Bad

Fruit Veggies Chicken (Lean) Baked or Grilled Fish ( Baked or Grilled) Beans Salads Water
Brown rice Egg whites Olive Oil

Pasta Bread Cakes, Pies, Muffins, cookies etc. White Rice Dairy products Chips Candy
Vegetable oil Soda

Tip of the Day: You should not eat anything thats canned, boxed, wrapped etc. Basically stay AWAY from PROCESSED FOODS!!! This is your worst enemy and you will see no results if you keep going back to the dark side. Its really quite simple its basically just MEAT, VEGETABLES AND FRUIT. Moderation is the key, because you can definitely over indulge in these food groups. The most important group you should monitor is your Protein intake. If you are trying to gain muscle you obviously will need more protein, because it repairs the muscles after theyve been broken down. But your vegetable and fruit intake should always be more than your meat.

I believe that people make it out to be some Mystery on how to eat right and look great, but theres the formula right there. Go back to the basics and eat from mother earth. I hope its been helpful to you and I love Feedback so let me know how its going for you and share the RESULTS. SIX PACK HERE WE COME!!